Confusing Verbs

confusing verbs in English along with examples:

1. Lay vs. Lie:

• Lay (to place something down): She lays the book on the table.

• Lie (to recline or rest): He lies on the sofa to relax.

1. Raise vs. Rise:

• Raise (to lift something): She raises her hand to ask a question.

• Rise (to go up or ascend): The sun rises in the east.

1. Set vs. Sit:

• Set (to put something in a particular place): He sets the table for dinner.

• Sit (to be seated): She sits on the chair to read a book.

1. Bring vs. Take:

• Bring (to carry something towards a place): Please bring the documents to the meeting.

• Take (to carry something away from a place): I'll take the trash out.

1. Accept vs. Except:

• Accept (to receive willingly): She accepts the gift with gratitude.

• Except (excluding): Everyone attended the party except John.

1. Affect vs. Effect:

• Affect (to influence or produce a change): The new policy will affect all employees.

• Effect (result or outcome): The medication had a positive effect on his health.

1. Who vs. Whom:

• Who (subject pronoun): Who is responsible for the project?

• Whom (object pronoun): To whom did you give the keys?

1. Lie vs. Lay:

• Lie (to recline or rest): The dog likes to lie in the sun.

• Lay (to put or place something down): Lay the books on the shelf.

1. Bring vs. Fetch:

• Bring (to come with something or someone to a place): Can you bring the drinks to the party?

• Fetch (to go and get something or someone and bring them back): Could you fetch my keys from the living room?

1. Set vs. Put:

• Set (to put something in a particular place or position): She set the table for dinner.

• Put (to move something to a specific location): Please put the groceries in the refrigerator.

1. Leave vs. Let:

• Leave (to go away from a place): She leaves for work at 8 am.

• Let (to allow or permit): Let me help you with that.

1. Do vs. Make:

• Do (to perform an action): I need to do my homework.

• Make (to create or produce something): She makes delicious cakes.

1. Can vs. May:

• Can (ability or capability): Can you swim?

• May (permission or possibility): May I use your phone?

1. Shall vs. Will:

• Shall (used to express future action with the first person): I shall go to the store.

• Will (used to express future action with second and third persons): He will arrive tomorrow.

1. Then vs. Than:

• Then (refers to a point in time): We will go to the park and then to the cinema.

• Than (used for comparison): She is taller than her sister.

1. Further vs. Farther:

• Further (additional or to a greater extent): We need to discuss this matter further.

• Farther (refers to physical distance): The store is farther than I thought.

1. Good vs. Well:

• Good (adjective): She is a good singer.

• Well (adverb): She sings well.

1. Lie vs. Lye:

• Lie (to recline): The cat likes to lie in the sun.

• Lye (a strong alkaline solution): Lye is used in soap-making.

1. Borrow vs. Lend:

• Borrow (to take something from someone with the intention of returning it): Can I borrow your pen?

• Lend (to give something to someone for temporary use): Can you lend me your pen?

1. Speak vs. Talk:

• Speak (to utter words): He speaks three languages fluently.

• Talk (to communicate or converse): They talk on the phone every day.

1. Advice vs. Advise:

• Advice (noun): She gave me some good advice about my career.

• Advise (verb): Can you advise me on which laptop to buy?

1. Breathe vs. Breath:

• Breathe (verb): Remember to breathe deeply during the yoga class.

• Breath (noun): She felt a cold breath on her neck.

1. Brake vs. Break:

• Brake (noun or verb): Press the brake pedal to slow down the car.

• Break (verb): He accidentally broke the vase.

1. Compliment vs. Complement:

• Compliment (noun or verb): She received a nice compliment on her new haircut.

• Complement (noun or verb): The wine complements the flavors of the dish perfectly.

1. Council vs. Counsel:

• Council (noun): The city council meets every Tuesday.

• Counsel (noun or verb): She sought legal counsel before signing the contract.

1. Cite vs. Site vs. Sight:

• Cite (verb): You need to cite your sources in the research paper.

• Site (noun): The construction site is located downtown.

• Sight (noun): The view from the top of the mountain was a breathtaking sight.

1. Complement vs. Compliment:

• Complement (verb or noun): The red wine complements the meal perfectly.

• Compliment (verb or noun): She received a compliment on her new dress.

1. Capital vs. Capitol:

• Capital (noun): London is the capital of England.

• Capitol (noun): The Capitol building is located in Washington, D.C.

1. Climactic vs. Climatic:

• Climactic (adjective): The climactic scene of the movie was intense.

• Climatic (adjective): The climatic conditions in the region are harsh.

1. Dual vs. Duel:

• Dual (adjective): The smartphone has a dual camera setup.

• Duel (noun or verb): They settled their dispute with a duel.

1. Flair vs. Flare:

• Flair (noun): She has a flair for interior design.

• Flare (noun or verb): The flare of the match illuminated the room.

1. Faze vs. Phase:

• Faze (verb): The criticism didn't faze him at all.

• Phase (noun or verb): She's going through a rebellious phase.

1. Grisly vs. Grizzly:

• Grisly (adjective): The crime scene was grisly and disturbing.

• Grizzly (adjective or noun): We saw a grizzly bear in the national park.

1. Hoard vs. Horde:

• Hoard (verb or noun): He tends to hoard old newspapers.

• Horde (noun): A horde of tourists descended upon the city during the festival.

1. Hoarse vs. Horse:

• Hoarse (adjective): His voice was hoarse from shouting all day.

• Horse (noun): She loves riding her horse in the countryside.

1. Lead vs. Led:

• Lead (noun or verb): He took the lead in organizing the event.

• Led (verb): She led the team to victory.

1. Lightning vs. Lightening:

• Lightning (noun): Lightning lit up the sky during the storm.

• Lightening (verb): She is lightening her hair for the summer.

1. Lose vs. Loose:

• Lose (verb): Don't lose hope; you'll find a solution.

• Loose (adjective): His pants are too loose after losing weight.

1. Passed vs. Past:

• Passed (verb): He passed the exam with flying colors.

• Past (adjective or noun): The past cannot be changed.

1. Peace vs. Piece:

• Peace (noun): They signed a treaty to achieve peace in the region.

• Piece (noun): She cut the cake into small pieces.

1. Pique vs. Peak:

• Pique (verb): His curiosity was piqued by the mysterious letter.

• Peak (noun): They reached the peak of the mountain just before sunset.

1. Poor vs. Pour:

• Poor (adjective): They lived in a poor neighborhood.

• Pour (verb): She poured herself a glass of water.

1. Precede vs. Proceed:

• Precede (verb): The introduction precedes the main body of the report.

• Proceed (verb): They decided to proceed with the project despite the challenges.

1. Principal vs. Principle:

• Principal (noun or adjective): The school principal greeted the students in the morning.

• Principle (noun): He believed in the principles of honesty and integrity.

1. Stationary vs. Stationery:

• Stationary (adjective): The car was stationary at the traffic light.

• Stationery (noun): She bought some new stationery for her office.

1. Passed vs. Past:

• Passed (verb): She passed the exam with flying colors.

• Past (adjective or noun): The past cannot be changed.

1. Peace vs. Piece:

• Peace (noun): They signed a treaty to achieve peace in the region.

• Piece (noun): She cut the cake into small pieces.

1. Pique vs. Peak:

• Pique (verb): His curiosity was piqued by the mysterious letter.

• Peak (noun): They reached the peak of the mountain just before sunset.

1. Poor vs. Pour:

• Poor (adjective): They lived in a poor neighborhood.

• Pour (verb): She poured herself a glass of water.

1. Precede vs. Proceed:

• Precede (verb): The introduction precedes the main body of the report.

• Proceed (verb): They decided to proceed with the project despite the challenges.